The Bones of Success
"To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone." — Reba McEntire
Success is defined by the individual, and the path to success is just as varied. Regardless of the path you take, you’ll need to know where you’re heading, have the strength and perseverance to keep moving forward and a bright mental attitude when darkness threatens your dreams.
Wishbone
The mysterious and powerful wishbone, the only bone of the chicken or turkey that wasn’t disposed of. After a roasted dinner my mom would place the wishbone on a hook above the stove for a couple of days to dry out. I took it very seriously if I was one of the lucky two family members to wish upon that fowl’s bone. I’d make sure my hand placement was just right, I’d close my eyes, furrow my brow, purse my lips and begin to fully visualize what I wanted with the belief that if I won the bone pull, then my wish would surely come true. The clearer the picture in your head of what you want the easier it will be for you to see the opportunities to get there. The more you believe in yourself and in your dreams the greater the chance of success. So, close your eyes real tight, purse your lips together, furrow those brows and start using that childlike imagination that is still inside of you.
Backbone
Your wishbone isn’t the primary mover when it comes to making your dreams a reality, that’s your backbones job. It’s your backbone that will take that trip to Costa Rica for three weeks, it’s your backbone that will turn in your resignation from the job that is no longer serving you, it’s your backbone that will take rejections and still keep on applying and it’s your backbone that will keep you working seven days a week for two years to ensure you succeed. The strength of your backbone is not just about standing tall, it’s about being supple, being able to bend and twist and still hold it all together. You’ll be flipped backwards, completely vulnerable with your heart open, if you’re too rigid you’ll snap in half, if you’re not strong enough you’ll never stand back up. If you want to make your dream a reality, then it’s time to test out that backbone.
Funny Bone
Let’s just be honest, crap is just going to happen, and you will have little control over any of it. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as Murphy’s Law, ‘anything that can go wrong will go wrong’ (as explained in the this brief but hysterical clip by Les Brown ) . When dark clouds appear out of nowhere and start raining poop all over your dream parade there’s one bone that will get you through that kind of storm, and it’s your funny bone. Getting your knickers in a knot over problems that are outside of your control will do you no good, but laughing at the absurdity of it all will keep your spirits high and prevent you from a tailspin that you may never recover from. In your hardest times, humor will always save you and keeping your chin up will help you see the way through the storm.
See and believe in your dreams with the eyes and mind of a child. Roll your shoulders back and down and accept the challenges that await you. When it seems like nothing else can go wrong, and then something does, wave your fist in the air, laugh aloud and joyously commend Murphy’s spectacular skill at blindsiding you once again, all while keeping your head up and eyes forward.
Copyright 2020 Strength & Grace Life Coaching LLC